Sensible King
by Kurious Killer
Summary: Gen can be sensible when it suits him. At times like this, his Queen is grateful because she has some important news to tell him.


**Well I'm a bit bored and irritated so the best way to get rid of that is to write so here is some random rambles to get my mind off finals weeks. It is also a way for me to ease myself back into FanFiction. So I hope you all enjoy. **

Gen wasn't the biggest contender of self-preservation. Heck he went to Attolia for gods' sakes. But at this moment, this small insignificant moment, he wanted nothing more than to run and hide behind his wife's skirt, but of course it was his wife he was hiding from, hence his running away.

He had just received the news. After ten years of waiting for the Medes to come and finally uniting the three kingdoms under his rule, war was upon them. The Medes declared war on the very same damn day that Attolia saw fit to tell him, he was about to become a father.

Needless to say, this is how Gen found himself deep in the woods of the deserted villages of Eddis, not wanting to climb back down the mountain to his Queen.

Someone would find him of course. He had his money set on it being Costis or perhaps Sophos if the Magus didn't hold him down.

He didn't know how to talk his god. He knew war was coming. He had prepared himself over and over again for when the Medes sent the declaration of war. He knew how to compose his armies, how to best use his allies abilities and strengths, how to compensate for their weaknesses. He even knew what to do if he was assassinated or died before the war was over. How many guns, how much gold, how much food, how many dead or alive.

So if he had considered every minuscule detail, why does he cower at the thought of a simple babe? A babe that would call him Father, a babe that he would love and care, a babe whose death would tear him apart and oh gods was he terrified!

"Gen"

Ah so it was not Costis or Sophos. But-

"You're being ridiculous" said His Queen.

"I am?"

"But of course you are! I meant to tell you sooner, but I wanted to be sure. Two moon cycles have passed without my bleeding… I am sure"

"That's what I was afraid of..."

The Queen of Attolia had finally found him up in a tree, as usual, and plopped down on the grass below his branch to wait for him to come to his senses.

"How did Teleus let you out without an entire battalion trailing behind like a tail?"

"Teleus doesn't know,"

"Ah so Eddis sneaked you out?"

"Of course. I don't know if I should be frustrated or grateful that you Goat-heads know the secret passages of my castle better than the head of my army."

"It's not our fault that our grandfather was the architect of your castle. Next time you build a castle, hire someone from your own country. But Eddis does have a knack for avoiding her army, thanks to all the tricks I taught her when I tried to avoid my father"

Attolia pauses for a moment, her mouth opening and closing like a fish seeking water when caught on a line.

"Is that what you're afraid of? Being just like your father? He is a good man you know,"

"_Of course he is a good man. He attempted to kill me before you and your dear Relius got to me first. He never did find that joke concerning my other hand funny. He has raised me, pushed me, resented my title, and tried to save my life countless times over…" _Gen thought to himself.

Gen cradles the stump of his right hand. Attolia had told him the news at breakfast so in his hurry to escape the future heir of his kingdom, his hook at caught at the table and he left it there, dangling in the lace of the table cloth. He did not know how he was able to climb this tree without his hook, sheer determination on his part or his god helping him more likely.

"Will you come down now?"

"Must I?"

"Yes"

"Is that a demand?"

"A request if you prefer. Whatever gets you down from there"

Gen looked down to his wife and the sight took the breath from of his lungs. Irene looked beautiful to him, her cheeks flushed pink from chasing him up the mountain border that separates his past to his present, her lips slightly chapped from the wind, her hair frazzled from the sweat going down her neck to soak in her formal red dress that must be killing her if her heavy breathing from earlier was anything to go by. But his eyes stopped at her stomach, her dress could still hide it for a while but soon enough the bump would be there and already there is a little life inside of her, growing until it must be born in a world surrounded by war.

Oh gods, what has he done! Gen cannot bear to look at his wonderful wife and soon to be child who he has condemned to a life filled with nothing of war and death and-

"GEN!"

He starts quickly to realize in his terror that he has lost his balance and finds himself falling to the ground. Before he cracks his head on the forest floor, he finds himself very much alive.

"Thank you Costis"

Costis of course could not speak because he was squashed beneath his smaller but no less regal King. With that realization, Gen finally cracked an eye open, rolled off his guard and sat crossed legged next to the Queen. He guessed that his god had saved him again but he couldn't help but feel disappointed that the God of Thieves did not let him fall.

"Are you here to hit me again for abandoning your Queen and ignoring my duties as a father and your King?"

Costis finally was able to gather some sort of breathe and sat up a bit to look the King of Attolia in his eye. Costis shook his head and lay back down to gather some more strength.

"Never My King"

Gen opened his mouth only to close it again. He whipped his head around to the dense forest trees behind him.

"Sophos, come over here and bring my guard some water while you're at it. He just saved your King and your only hope at the Medes. I'm sure Eddis followed you, who followed Costis who followed Attolia who followed me. Now I just need to know who followed Eddis."

Sure enough, the king of Sounis, his wife and Gen's favorite cousin, the queen of Eddis, came out from behind the trees but the only addition he saw was the Eddis' Minister of War, the Commander of Eddis' army and his father.

"Ah so it was you who followed Helen"

Gen turned back to face forward because he expected the blow. He waited for it. Hoped for it.

He did not want his father to come down and hug him.

"I'm sorry"

Gen didn't expect that either. Which is why he could no longer hold it together, his father's apology was the last crack in the dam and the water began to fall.

Only Irene was allowed to hold him why he cried out his worries.

After a lifetime of worries escaped his eyes into his wife's lap and the smooth silk that rubbed against his cheek and caressed his head while her hands soothed his hair, Gen lay quiet on the Eddis forest floor.

"He took it better than I thought" the queen said.

"How so?" Eddis replied looking at her favorite cousin, her former Thief.

"I didn't expect him to stay within our reach."

This silenced the others but still they nodded their agreement. Gen could have been gone for days without anyone's notice but he stayed within reach.

And so Costis picked his King up and carried him down the mountain back home to Attolia while his Queen and the sovereignty of his bordering countries walked behind him. Costis was not worried. The Minister of War of Eddis would not let anything happen to his niece, her husband and most important, his daughter-in-law that carried his new precious grandchild.

Walking back into the castle through the back way and secret entrances Gen's grandfather once made, Costis and the rest shared one thought that ran through all their heads.

They were grateful to have a sensible King.


End file.
